The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-01
THE DEATH OF SUSIE BECK
An Order Directing the Arrest of the Rev.
West on a Charge of Murder.
4 Post MOrtem Shows that an Enormous Dose
of Arsenic Was Given the Girl-West Is Be-
lieyed Guilty of Causing Her Death.

ST. LOUIS. July 3L-The Globe-Democras
prints the following:
Arrest for murder, Rev. William Thomas Abbott
West, alias Thomas Abbott thirty-one years of age
five feet six inches high, with dark auburn hair dark
brown eyes full square face and chin clean shaven:
stoops slightly when walking; wears wine-colored
poisoning of Susie Beck. ANTON HUEBLER.
Chief of Police.
The above message went out the telegraph
wires last evening to all the principal cities in
this country and in Canada The mystery sur
rounding the death Of Susie Beck. as she was
known here, Annie Abbott, had been solved at
last She had been murdered by her ministerial
lover, with whom she eloped from Chesterton.
Ind, June 81 During the afternoon Professor
Luedeking, the chemical analyst of Washington
University had placed the liver under examina-
ton by what is known as the Marsh process for
the determination of the presence of arsenic
He was tired and sat down to rest, expecting
that the poison, if it existed, would not develop
for some time His eye caught the mirror just
as he settled in his chair and beheld thin,
blackish film gathering thereon. He jumped
MP and noticed it gather more plainly and then
sat down again. There was the proof that the
liver was charged with the poison. He waited
until the deposit ceased and then he boxed mp
the instrument, put bis hat and coat and
started for the coroners Office. There he an
nounced his discovery and Immediately the
chief of police was notified and the message
sent out.
Doctor Luedeking briefly explained the test.
and announced that the evidences he had OBJ
served showed that in the little piece OF the liver
on which he had been working there was enough
arsenic to have killed the woman. He should
Judge that in that portion of the liver there was
about fifty grammes about $50 grains The
part on which he had experimental was about
one-twenty- fifth Of the whole liver, which would
indicate, approximately. of course. that the or
gan had been charged with at least Is, $50 grains
of arsenic. It was an enormous dose. and would
have killed he could not say how many persons.
He had not examined the stomach at ALL but the
liver being 80 rich in arsenic. he had not doubt
the poison would De found in very large quanti-
ties in the stomach. Doctor Frazer instructed
the analyst to POSTPONE his tests OF the stomach
and to take his time in determining the exact
amount of poison administered.
WAS the quantity too great for suicidal
doseF was asked.
iFYesn
''Then it's murder7n
SIT is murder"
The discovery of the poison the fact
wanting to make a complete chain of circum-
stantial Evidence justifyIng the arrest OF the
whose sudden disappearance after the
woman's death. followed by Developments point
aroused suspicion Rev. William Thomas Alb
bolt West left Chesterton Ind, June 81 and at
the same time Susie Beck, with whom he had
been criminaly intimate. disappeared from the
same place. He was heard from again by letter
TO the wife he had deserted, a few days after.
The girl also heard from about the same
time by her mother. They were both in Chi
cago. There they were lost sight of. On July
i, Rev Thomas Abbott and his wife were found,
fains and believed. after sleeping in wheat
field at Woodlawn. in St. Louis county. He
told a pitiable story, of having eloped with her
despite her parents desires, and how they had
tramped many weary miles. He got work in the
place in NJ. d. Degge's silver-plating establish
ment. He splendid workman, an intelli-
seeming and was pitied and respected. too. He
and his wife went to live together at 713 North
jefferson avenue. She fell sick. A doctor was
summoned.
He pronounced her ailment a combination of
heart disease and cholera merbus. she DENYING
she was pregnant. She died, and the doctor gave
This was July Is. Next day Abbott disappeared,
and his grief. it thought, had driven him
mad. Some days after Mr.. Degge, his employer,
received two letters. One was from Abbott
himself, the other letter Abbott had received
from his wife. Her letter alluded to possible
separation, and declared that she would die rath-
er than that should happen. His letter was full
Of grief, and concluded with threat of joining
her by jumping in the river. Mr. Degge thought
he W. aid commit suicide, and notified the police.
Then he hesitatinglv delivered up the let ters,
and they both found to have been written
In the same hand Some then remembered
certain talk of Abbotts relating to arsenic on
the day of his wifes funeral
Then a package of arsenic he had purchased,
and from which some of the poison had been
taken, was found at Degge's shop The body
was exhumed. Then from Chesterton, Ind,
came the announcement that Thomas Abbott
was the Rev. William Thomas Abbott West, and
that Mrs. Annie Abbott Susie Beck It
that letter from Susie Beck, dated July 20 at
Chicago, and declaring she was doing we'll. had
been received at Chesterton. On July 20 Susie
had been dead two days. Then Abbott ap-
peared at Chesterton, dazed and ill., and he fed
as ha learned that he had been identified
as Abbott He took away all photographs Of
was not used in silver-platng. Then came the
discovery that death was due to arsencal poison
Many of these facts segregated might be ac-
counted for upon charitable hypothesis, but.
taken altogether. the conclusion is irresistible
that the man committed murder.
The post mortem examination OF the woman
revealed the presence of a fetus of about two
and one-haf months CESSATION. with placenta
attached, and the fact unaccounta table for |
upon any theory but one. which still further
goes to strengthen the idea of murder She had |
denied that she was pregnant, and had mised |
the physicians who attended her SO that, had it |
not been for the action of the husband, the aw- |
full crime might have been hidden forever in the |
poor girls lonely grave, and in the black depths
of the murderers heart.
Where there is a crime. say the LAWYERS, the |
first thing to look for is the motive. What mo- |
tive had Abbott or West for his crime?
Every hour he lived with the poor girl added |
an additional motive or strengthened old one |
to get rid Of her. Every day his reason declared |
to him to remain with her was ruin. Every lie |
he told looked gauzier and gauzier, SO that it |
seemed that all the world might see the cloth of |
which it made. The tie between him and |
the woman grew more CALLING every day. The |
little its way to this world would make |
the tie more strong ard more CALLING He could |
not shake the woman of; her love would furnish |
her strength to follow him till the day he died.
If she were dead-the thought was inspira-
ton. If she were dead-Annie Abbott might die,
and Susie Beck. too. but who, far away from |
the home they had fed, would identify the two.
A thought like this burns the brain until it
finds relief in action.
Then the scheme of murder developed. and in
this wise according to the theory which the
coroner and police working.
He represented to her that the birth Of the child